The Lost Art of Third Spaces
The Lost Art of Third Spaces
By Emma Williams — October 10, 2025
Everyone has places they have to go: school, work, and home, for example. But, where are the places you aren’t required to go? Places you’ve almost accidentally found yourself in; a space you wandered into on a whim, or a sighting of a friend somewhere that later turned into a place you both call “our spot.”
Coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, “third places” are the spaces we go outside of work and our homes for social connection. This is a space where our daily business has the potential to be put on hold at the demand of social interaction, a good book, or simply a good coffee. These spaces can’t exist without the people who seek them out. Luckily, Oxford, Mississippi, is full of them.
Square Books is a beloved bookstore on The Square that sits on the corner of Van Buren Avenue and South Lamar. Started in 1979, the bookstore has become home to some of the world’s most famous literary works, as well as human connection. The bookstore’s balcony is a place with no wifi or outlets. If you’re looking for something to entertain you, there are simply only the cars that round the courthouse, the people bustling on the street below, and the person next to you. Wander up there one day and bring a friend, new or old, and you will see Oxford from a different perspective.
Bottletree Bakery has been a place of connection since it first opened its doors in 1995. While every pastry there is made from scratch, so are the conversations and unlikely acquaintances. Bottletree is another spot with limited wifi and even more limited outlets, as well as cozy tables and a long, community bar that has a seat for everyone. People sit for hours inside the four walls that are covered with antique art and niche objects from Oxford’s past. The magic lies in the people you meet in the long line that stretches out of the bakery’s door each morning.
The Grove is the center of the University of Mississippi and plays host to many kinds of people from all backgrounds and all parts of their lives. There is no way around it: if you’re in the Grove, you are going to make connections with someone. Its towering trees have seen many games of frisbee, football, soccer, and wiffle ball. They’ve seen people lying in the sweet grass during the springtime and teachers teaching classes in the fall. Benches and tables are sprinkled throughout the large plot of land and are highly coveted by students and residents alike. Connection is found in the smallest of things there: waves to passerbys, friends killing time before a class, games of all kinds, and not to mention tailgating. This sacred part of the Ole Miss campus is a haven for the smaller moments of our daily lives. Step out of your routine and sit in the grove for a moment or two.
Taylor, Mississippi has been a long-time escape for students at the university, but before that, it belonged to the people of Taylor. Because of its history, this small town, 15 minutes outside of Oxford, reminds us that human connection is a vital part of life. Out there, life slows to a stop. You can find a coffee shop, a grassy field, a concert stage, and a quaint neighborhood to meander through on a day the weather is nice. The quiet almost shocks you at first, but it is exactly that quiet that allows room for conversation in this third space.
The dichotomy of third spaces is that while they are plentiful in Oxford, they are also in danger of extinction. Third spaces have a rule to them: they only exist in the context of a social ecosystem created by people who believe they need them. The art of third spaces is almost lost in our culture today. With our phones glued to our hands, we are constantly aware of all that we could be doing, and therefore, struggle to sit in the present. But when we do, when we seek out a third place, we find that life isn’t always about doing what we planned. Life is about meeting other people, and not only that, but finding a friend in them as well.
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